The company, which is a subsidiary of real estate giant CapitaLand, recently secured contracts to manage five more properties comprising 1,000 apartment units in the cities of Yinchuan, Changsha, Shenyang and Xi’an. These take the company’s Chinese inventory to more than 12,000 serviced apartments, representing almost a third of its Asia Pacific total of 37,000 units.

“Since bringing Ascott from our home base in Singapore to China in 1998, we have grown to become China’s largest international serviced residence owner-operator, with 69 properties across 23 cities. This year alone, we have added some 2,600 apartment units in China. Having crossed our target of 12,000 apartment units ahead of 2015, we are now aiming at 20,000 units in China by 2020,” he added.

By this time, Ascott’s Chinese collection is expected to account for a quarter of its targeted global inventory of 80,000 units.

The latest five additions of Ascott’s portfolio demonstrate the company’s increasing focus on emerging second tier Chinese cities. The 200-unit Citadines Xingqing Yinchuan, 150-unit Somerset Xingqing Yinchuan and 164-unit Somerset Riverside Changsha will mark Ascott’s entry into two new markets, Yinchuan and Changsha – the respective capitals of the Ningxia region and Hunan province.

All three properties are due to open in 2018, and the Yinchuan properties mark the first time Citadines- and Somerset-branded serviced residences have been co-located in the same development.

Ascott has also signed its second property in Shenyang, the 330-unit Somerset Olympic Centre Shenyang, and its fifth property in Xi’an, the 156-unit Somerset Xindicheng Xi’an. These serviced residences will open in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014, Ascott now operates 24,000 serviced apartment units in Asia Pacific, with a further 12,000 in the pipeline.

“This brings Ascott closer to its target of achieving 12,000 apartment units in China by 2015,” said Ascott in a release, adding that this has cemented the company’s leadership position as the largest international serviced residence owner-operator in the country with 56 properties across 20 cities.

The milestone comes on the back of Ascott securing contracts to manage four more properties with a total of 797 apartment units in Hangzhou, Chongqing and Shenzhen. The 230-unit Somerset IOC Hangzhou, 185-unit Somerset Changbin Chongqing, 182-unit Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen and 200-unit Yantian Coast Serviced Residence Shenzhen are slated to open in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively.

In addition, Ascott has opened the 298-unit Ascott Raffles City Chengdu and 257-unit Somerset Wusheng Wuhan this year.

Mr Kevin Goh, Ascott’s Managing Director for North Asia, said: “We are pleased that Ascott has crossed a milestone of having 10,000 apartment units in China and is on track to achieve 12,000 units by 2015. Besides the first tier cities, we are expanding in high growth cities like Hangzhou and Chongqing. These cities have strong potential for economic growth and foreign investments which will generate a large demand for serviced residences. In China this year, we have so far clinched 13 management contracts and acquired a prime property in Hong Kong. Our China portfolio increased by more than 2,100 apartment units compared to 2012.”

Mr Goh added: “Since we brought Ascott from our home base in Singapore to China in 1998, more real estate owners have been seeking partnerships with us due to our exceptional track record in constantly adding value to both the properties and our customers. More expatriates and travellers are also choosing to stay at our serviced residences. Besides spacious apartments with separate living and dining areas and a fully-equipped kitchen, residents will enjoy privacy, the comfort of a home and top quality services. In the next five years, Ascott will be opening 27 more properties with over 4,300 units in China.”

Marriott International has introduced its serviced apartment brand to southern China, with the launch of the OCT Harbour, Shenzhen Marriott Executive Apartments.

Located in the centre of the Pearl River Delta city, the 155-unit property covers more than 27,000m² and features a range of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, each featuring a kitchen and other long-stay amenities. Guest services include a concierge desk, foreign exchange, limousine service and a grocery shopping service, while property facilities include a lounge, 24-hour gym, outdoor pool, kids’ pool, children’s playroom and dry cleaning.

“We are delighted to be opening South China’s very first Marriott Executive Apartments and pleased that the popularity of the Marriott Executive Apartments brand in China continues to grow,” said Simon Cooper, Marriott’s president & managing director for Asia Pacific.

“Designed with extended stay travellers in mind, the apartments are located in an iconic location with the convenience of a five-star, full-service hotel. Offering space, ambience and privacy of residential living the Marriott Executive Apartments enables a comfortable stay while living away from home,” he added.

OCT Harbour is a new entertainment district in central Shenzhen, featuring a waterfront shopping complex, theatre, exhibition centre, aquarium and cinema. It also includes an urban nature reserve, connecting the OCT Wetland Park and Coco Beach with the Binhai Seaside Promenade and Hongshulin Mangrove Forest.

The new Shenzhen property becomes the sixth Marriott Executive Apartments in China, following existing properties in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.

Sharing the same site as Pan Pacific Ningbo, which opened earlier this year in the Eastern New Town, next to the Ningbo International Conference and Exhibition Centre, the 175-room Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Ningbo offers a new and distinctive standard of extended-stay accommodation in China.

Its 24-hour Personal Assistant (PA) service, a feature of all Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, ensures residents are instantly connected to business and social networks to help them settle comfortably in their new city.

Comprising five room categories ranging from the 38-sqm Studio Room to the 102-sqm 2-bedroom Deluxe Suites specially designed for families, each well-appointed serviced suite features modern and luxurious furnishing, a 42-inch LCD cable television and ­fully-equipped kitchenette and laundry facilities.

Other than the Resident’s Lounge, state-of-the-art gymnasium, squash court, tennis court, indoor swimming pool and even a crèche, residents will also enjoy convenient access to the exciting dining options, rejuvenating spa and expansive meeting facilities at the adjoining hotel towers.

“As the only serviced suites with complete hotel facilities and service, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Ningbo has seamlessly fused the concepts of hotel and home into one that makes this serviced suites a cut above the rest,” said Chris Ong, General Manager of Pan Pacific Hotel and Serviced Suites Ningbo.

“With its 415 hotel guestrooms and 175 serviced suites and prime location, Pan Pacific Hotel and Serviced Suites Ningbo is positioned to cater to the needs of all visitors to Ningbo. We look forward to having them experience not just Ningbo’s vibrant culture but also Pan Pacific’s refreshing, revitalising and restorative hospitality and service”.

Outside China, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites are currently located in Singapore and Bangkok. A second serviced suites property in Singapore will open next year with the launch of Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road, Singapore.

THE ONE Executive Suites in Shanghai is Kempinski’s latest addition to its portfolio of luxury, serviced residences that include Beijing, Jakarta, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Geneva and St Moritz.

THE ONE represents the chain’s entry into Shanghai that still lacks a Kempinski, unlike in Beijing where its Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center is an established player.

Located in the key district of Jing’an – where a slew of mega commercial-retail projects are on the rise – this 224-unit property has the licenses to cater to both transient and long-term visitors. Said general manager Karina Ansos: “There are several sectors we can cater to: expats, who have relocated with their families, and are in the process of looking for more permanent apartments; those who are here on temporary assignment for projects; and single people who appreciate our exclusivity, the space and facilities such as the kitchenette.”

Suites come in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations, with the largest category at 300 sqm and boast heated floors for winter and balconies. All have separate bedroom and living room areas. There are currently two dining options on the premises: Lind Bakery, operated by a German chef, who whips up daily breakfast, can arrange special events or meals for the residents and even sells his pastry items, and Su Yang Club, a Chinese restaurant specialising in Shanghainese and Huaiyang cuisine; a Japanese restaurant is also soon to open. Wifi is available in the public areas and guest apartments.

Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd (Frasers) is on track to manage a total of 23 properties in China by 2016 with the opening of Fraser Suites Chengdu on March 13, 2012, by Guest of Honour, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of National Development of Singapore.
Reaffirming Frasers’ commitment to expanding its presence in China, the opening of the luxurious 360-unit Fraser Suites Chengdu will be followed by another five properties in Guangzhou, Wuxi, Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai by the end of this year.

The group also has other properties in Beijing, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou and Tianjin.
Designated as China’s western centre for logistics, commer
ce, finance, science and technology, transportation and communications, Chengdu continues to attract strong foreign direct investment as an economic region and has already reported GDP increase of 15.2 percent in the first quarter of 2011 to 136.84 million yuan. This increased presence of expatriates and business travelers to the area has also led to a growing demand for international serviced residences within the region, which Frasers is well positioned to meet.
“The opening of Fraser Suites Chengdu in collaboration with the Yanlord Land Group Limited, one of China’s leading residential property developers, builds on a very important and strategic relationship following our first partnership in Nanjing with the development of the elegant Fraser Suites Nanjing. It is also a clear reflection of the confidence we have in China’s dynamic growth, which we are very excited to be a part of,” said Mr Choe Peng Sum, Frasers’ chief executive officer, “Our strategy will be to cont

inue to strengthen our presence across China to meet the demand for premier international serviced residences both in primary as well as burgeoning secondary high-growth cities like Chengdu, where foreign direct investment and tourism are expected to increase exponentially in the next few years.”
Establishing a strong standing in the country’s premium serviced residences market for brand and operational excellence, Frasers has continued to win prestigious industry recognition for its strong reputation in its seven years of operation in China. The most recent accolades of which are Best Service Residence in China (for Fraser Suites Nanjing in the Business Traveller Awards), Best Serviced Apartment in China (for Frase
r Suites Shanghai), Best Serviced Residence Brand in China and Outstanding CEO for Mr Choe Peng Sum, which was awarded by China Hotel Starlight Awards, the “Oscars” of China’s hospitality industry for significant achievements within the industry.
An iconic development, with its impressive full glass frontage and stylish high-ceiling lobby, Fraser Suites Chengdu is strategically located in the heart of the city’s commercial centre between the Central Business District and Tian Fu Square. Part of an integrated development comprising of commercial offices and a range of high-end retail and lifestyle facilities, Fraser Suites Chengdu has been designed by renowned international architect firm NBBJ and features décor by acclaimed Hong Kong interior designer Steve Leung.
Setting new accommodation benchmarks in this flo

urishing economic region with its lush interiors and extensive resident facilities, Fraser Suites Chengdu’s fully equipped residences are a refreshing blend of space, comfort, luxury, practicality and technology. Ranging from studios to penthouses, each with panoramic views of the city, the residences feature spacious dining, kitchenette and living areas with top-end home entertainment (blue –ray) systems, ergonomically designed desk, Herman Miller work chairs and walk-in wardrobes, personalised daily housekeeping service, 24-hour concierge and security, and modern necessities such as WIFI Internet connection.
A key feature of Fraser Suites Chengdu is its impressive range of in-property leisure and business facilities tha

a comprehensive Business Centre and The Retreat, a signature feature of the group that offers a relaxing ambience including hi-tech massage chairs and specialty relaxation teas for residents to unwind.
Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd will manage 54 properties – a total of 8,732 individual residences – in 31 cities worldwide in 2012. The company’s global footprint will expand to 72 properties with a total of 11,856 individual residences in 37 global cities by the end of 2016.

Hong Kong’s Langham Hospitality Group is further enhancing its presence in South China by bringing its unique European-style of luxury hospitality with a new 240-room hotel in Haikou, capital of Hainan province, China’s top international tourist island.
“If you look at how our business has grown, half of our hotels are in China – that’s where the opportunities are,” Brett Butcher, CEO of LHG, said at a recent signing ceremony for the Langham hotel.
Set to open in 2014, the 240-room Langham Haikou is located at the new central business district of the city, close to the city government offices and marina. Occupying the top floors of the Zhonghuan International Plaza that includes commercial and retail space, it boasts magnificent views of the South China Sea.

“Hainan is a very high-profile province in China and the Chinese central government has offered a lot opportunities (to encourage international tourism),” Butcher said. “I think the location of our new hotel in Haikou will be the best here.”
He said that he is confident that the LHG, which combines European-style luxury and a strong connection with China, will further tap the nation’s massive tourism market.
“Half of our business are now in China and we are unique in the hospitality business,” he said.

“LHG is a Hong Kong-based company, so our roots are in China – that’s quite different from other major international hotel brands. Such a combination is powerful as we believe that Chinese like a European luxury and we can also do business in a very comfortable way with our Chinese partners.”
LGH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Great Eagle Holdings founded in 1963 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1972. It takes its name from the legendary Langham in London that was opened in 1865 as Europe’s first Grand Hotel.
It operates a family of hospitality brands including hotels, resorts, residential serviced apartments in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. They include the luxurious Langham and international five-star Langham Place, the upscale Eaton Luxe and the mid-market Eaton Smart.
There are now 31 LHG member hotels open or in the pipeline across the globe, with over half in China.
Looking ahead, Brett said he is confident that LHG’s strong management expertise will be vital in the group’s future expansion, targeting luxury to mid-range hotels.
“I think in the long term, we will manage many more hotels than our self-owned ones,” he said.